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AD, AFR, and ANG all have to take the CBT course. It's 34 modules, it's not hard with a beer a few nights a week. There is an accompanying notetaker that is like 90 pages of worksheets. I did most of it. I haven't looked at it since. For the last two classes, the test on pre-reqs was somewhat diagnostic, it didn't count and it was to see how effective the pre-reqs were online and at home as opposed to spending more time on them at OTS.
The facebook groups are full of non-flyers, lots of priors making the jump to the O-side of the field they were enlisted in previously, or cross training. That being said, they treat this training like grad school, or like the big turning point in their careers - and have family pressures and stuff depending on it. They have a different mindset then somebody like me who just graduated college in June and this is really more of a grow up quick and slog through it as a stepping stone to UPT. So keep that in mind when looking through the facebook groups, they're full of people stressing over what towels to bring, talking about how happy they are to have memorized the dining facility procedures 6 weeks ahead of time, and lamenting about not being able to go on runs with their dog.
My main advice is get organized - buy a little file box and organized all of your paperwork, medical stuff, orders, vouchers. And for gods sakes run 2-3 times a week and do push ups and sit ups.
I leave on Sunday. Feel free to PM me in a couple weeks for some inside info.
:-)

If you're selected for an OTS class, search for a group on Facebook. I'm leaving for 18-03 on Sunday, we've been sorting things out on the facebook group for the past few weeks, lots of good info. One of the former MTIs is going to be there with us and has shared some stuff. Even if you're not in an upcoming class you can request access to the group and scroll through the past few weeks of Q&A and chatter.
You won't find much gouge from the new 8 week TFOT course on here.

Haha,
I did not ask - but it seemed to be the case for a bunch of us actually. I think that they are trying to avoid BITs (breaks in training) and trying to flow us to FTU as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Really looking forward to commissioning, getting some happy photos with my family, and then immediately going off to Advanced Beatings

So, looks like I'll be running straight up the gut for the next year and a half. Selected September 2017, inprocessed this past week with the 340th FTG at Randolph.
OTS: 9 Jan to 9 Mar
...2 days later:
SERE: 12 Mar to 30 Mar
...4 days later:
Water survival: 4 Apr to 5 Apr
...5 days of driving later:
UPT (Vance): 10 Apr (report date), 24 Apr 2018 to May 2019.
Not only did I get SERE before UPT and 2 days after OTS, but no real breaks in training, just PCS travel days.
Let's get this party started!

AFAIK, one of the main issues holding the program back is the feedback/warning systems in place to prevent the boom from scratching up the receiver have been failing.
I'm curious how much of an issue this has been on legacy tankers that are somewhat less sophisticated... it seems like the kind of an issue that Boeing created for themselves.

I had my FC1 done before the AFRC board. But it was when there were only 2 AFRC boards a year. So, probably just timing. There should be like 6 or more boards this year I think. You'll probably just get it done when the paperwork lands in the right place.

Is it your FC1? I'm not sure. If your recruiter seems to think he can get you through without it, all power to you guys.
Remember, lots of fed holidays and general spottiness probably coming up over next month, so try to figure out as much as you can before christmas. Keep in contact with your POCs.
The reason I emphasize so much of the logistics is that numbered AF decided to audit my entire wings hires for the Sept board. All of us had to redo things for seemingly BS reasons for the numbered AF to let us re-submit to AFRC. We scrambled to get it done for a few days. You never know who could stick there nose in and decide something isn't fit for an AFRC stamp.

Awesome - congrats!
My only advice is to stay in constant contact with your unit when appropriate, and remain patient while they try to handle all of your paperwork on top of their own flying and day to day ops. If they ask for something, be prompt in getting something back to them. The less time that document is sitting open on their computer waiting for something, the better. They are busy, they may have other priorities day to day, and some of the signatures those handling your package will need will be from dudes that may be in and out of the squadron frequently, maybe only a few times a month. The more you can stay fresh in the minds of those handling your paperwork so that they can stay on top of it (without being over the top annoying about it) the better.
AFRC will be very anal and probably have you redo a good amount of things, as well as submit some new forms and memos. This will likely include your squadron POC as a middle man - so stay organized! There were plenty of minute adjustments to paperowrk that I had already done 2-3 times. Also, you may find yourself sending a scan of your log book or pilots license for like the 10th time. Keep blank and filled out copies of forms both with you on a jump drive wherever you go, or on google drive on your phone. Also, there are some "scanning" apps for phones these days that are free and do almost an equivalent job to a computer scanner for when you're on the go and need to make a quick change to a document and re-submit. That way when you're in a hotel or something at your regional gig you can take care of biz.
My buddy missed the last board because he couldn't get a few signatures at the squadron level, or because the ART handling things couldn't find where parts of his package were when he was trying to work on things for AFRC. Be ready to re-submit or serve up forms no matter how many times you've already done them. It wasn't necessarily their fault, but just an organizational hurdle.

I went from 73 to 89 in the <80hrs or whatever section after retaking the TBAS. During that time period I had accumulated a little flight time and increased my GPA at school, but only by a bit. I think I just did a ton better after learning from the first one.

Saw recently that the 2016 averages for AFOQT score from AFRC boards were:
Pilot - 91 Navigator - 76 Academic - 69 Quantitative - 63
I think with some studying you could move yourself into that ballpark if you really applied yourself. It's a standardized test - there are strategies and methods that will help you succeed. Work on your weakest areas and put a lot of time into mastering the pilot and academic sections if you can. There are tons of free and otherwise cheap resources out there. Practice a bunch and figure out how you can do your best, efficiently with the time limits.
In the time since I took the TBAS in 2015 (and signed the non-disclosure paperwork about the test content...) I've seen some flashcards have emerged online that can help you get better at certain parts of the test. Not bashing anybody's integrity, but smoke em if you got em I guess. Read more about how the multi-tasking portion is scored and stuff. I retook the TBAS once, and I found that just taking it a second time helped tremendously. My PCSM went from like a 73 to an 89.